


The Marriage Law that shook Wizarding Britain.

by Damn_it_Derek_Hale



Category: Harry Potter - Fandom
Genre: Cute! Toddler Draco, F/M, Gen, Harry grows up away from the Dursleys, Manipulative Dumbledore, Many House Elf OCs, Narcissa's death is discussed in the prologue, Reader is Daphne Greengrass' godmother, Reader is related to the Zabini and Greengrass families, Reader's Father and Mother don't agree with the Marriage Law, This takes place after Harry has defeated Voldemort for the first time
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-22
Updated: 2020-12-10
Packaged: 2021-02-18 01:37:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 20,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21519784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Damn_it_Derek_Hale/pseuds/Damn_it_Derek_Hale
Summary: After finding out that due to a decrease in the population of Wizarding Britain you will be wed to Lucius Malfoy, can you form a genuine relationship with a wizard that you barely know?  What will happen to Wizarding Britain along the way?
Relationships: Lucius Malfoy/Reader, Lucius Malfoy/You, Past Lucius Malfoy/Narcissa Black Malfoy, Severus Snape/Reader's Sister, Severus Snape/Your Sister
Comments: 70
Kudos: 124





	1. Prologue

Lucius crumpled the blasted letter from the Ministry in his fist. It wasn't bad enough that his wife had died while fighting the Dark Lord - no, the Ministry had to add insult to injury by enacting this meaningless law.

It was a law from the 1300s that stated if the population of Wizarding Britain ever fell beyond a certain point, the Ministry could pair couples according to bloodline and compatibility. That was exactly what had happened with the First War.

So much of Wizarding Britain had fallen in the war. Lucius supposed it was around 30% of the population.

Frustrated beyond belief, Lucius Disapperated from the Manor and left the letter lying on the ground.

On the letter, just before the Minister's signature, there was a name. This was the name of Lucius' future bride.

(Name) (Middle Name) (Last Name).


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and your sister find out about the Marriage Law and your marriage to Lucius Malfoy. Your sister also finds out about her arranged marriage to Severus Snape.
> 
> Can anyone say chaos?

Once you were back on solid ground, you checked you still had all your limbs. Apparition was such a risky business at the best of times - glancing over, you saw your younger sister doing exactly the same thing.

"If International Floo was available, I would have signed up for that experience faster than a Chaser soars after the Quaffle." Your sister muttered.

"You would be spending at least two hours in the Floo." You replied.

Your sister grinned, "Better than brooms and safer."

You rolled your eyes as you began walking to your parents' Manor. "You still are left with the aftertaste of ash though."

Your sister fell into step next to you, "Maybe a type of vanishing potion?"

You cocked your head in thought, "The idea has merit, perhaps if you created the potion to act as a barrier around the mouth, as to prevent ash from entering in the first instance."

Your sister looked confused for a moment before nodding and then she caught sight of a man standing at the entrance of the Manor.

Immediately, your posture changed. Your back became rigid and your face was wiped clear of any expression. It was not your dad that was standing at the entrance; it was your Father. Your dad was the man who taught you both to play Quidditch, encouraged you both in your schoolwork and improved your duelling skills by bewitching apples to bob around your head while you threw spells at him.

Your Father was the man who remained neutral all throughout the War and he was the man who spoke to the Goblins about strengthening the wards of the Manor to a level that was deemed unacceptable by the Ministry and then proceeded to justify his decision to a Ministry official to the point that the Ministry official returned to the Ministry and removed the complaint.

This was the man who had thrown a borderline Grey curse at a Nundu and lived to tell the story.

As you and your sister reached the entrance, you both bowed. "Father."

Your Father kept his expression blank as he gestured for you both to follow him, "We have a guest."

You exchanged a quick look with your sister who seemed to be just as confused as you were. As you entered the sitting room, you saw your Mother sitting with the Minister of Magic.

As you were the oldest, tradition dictated that you bowed to the Minister first and then you greeted him. "Minister, it is an honour to have you here."

Your sister went next, "Minister, welcome to the house of the (Last Name)."

Your Mother and Father came and stood behind you and your sister. That alone worried you, in the old, traditional families - that simple gesture meant the news about to be delivered was so jarring that a member of the family would need to be on hand to make sure that an individual's magic did not spike out accidentally.

The fact that both your Mother and your Father had assumed that position not only meant that the news was grave, it also meant that your Mother and Father would potentially have to use their magic to overpower yours in the event that you were shocked enough to lose control over your magic.

Fudge straightened his posture and tried to look intimidating but he did not hold a candle to your Father "I do not wish to be the bearer of bad news however due to the war, the Ministry has seen fit to impose a law from our distant past. The law states that any unmarried witch or wizard will be paired with a suitable partner and married at a date of the Ministry's choosing." Fudge explained, like you and your sister were young, sneaky children that had smuggled some Cauldron Cakes into school.

You tensed and your mask slipped. A glance from your Father had you schooling your face back into a neutral expression and hoping the Minister did not notice. 

"I am here as a personal favour to your family. Miss (Name), you have been paired with Lucius Malfoy. Miss (Sister's Name), you have been paired with Severus Snape."

Dimly, you heard your parents bid farewell traditionally to the Minister and you felt the wards ripple as the Minister Disapperated.

You saw your Father's lips move and his hands came to grip at your shoulders. But you could not focus on what he was saying. A mild Stinging Hex jolted you back to reality.

"Are you alright (Name)? Are you alright (Sister's Name)?"

You rubbed at your eyes, hoping this was a realistic, vivid dream. After reassuring yourself that it wasn't, you sighed. Your Father had become your dad. "Dad, it's...I can't describe what I'm feeling right now. It's not so much the person, it's the fact that the choice was taken away from me....us." You corrected yourself when you saw your sister's expression.

She was just as worried, confused and upset as you were.

Your dad sighed, "You know that our marriage was an arranged marriage and it was the same for your grandparents and your great-grandparents. It has been so for generations. It isn't the circumstances, it's the people and if they want the...arrangement to work."

"Dad..."

Your dad pulled you both into a hug, "My girls. Just remember, if either one of your arranged husbands or their families try to give you any grief, you are of the Old, Noble and Honorary House of (Last Name). Also pick your battles. Do not needlessly fight something - make your displeasure known only when there is a better option for all and have many back up plans."


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucius prepares Draco and himself to meet you. He also contemplates the usefulness of his owl.

Lucius waited in the living room for his blasted owl to return with your response. He had sent a letter, as per the old traditions, to arrange a date for him and Draco to be formally introduced to your family.

Speaking of Draco, he had been a little subdued ever since Lucius had told him that his mother had died. The first few nights, Draco had cried out in the night but Lucius had been dealing with his own loss and had sent a House Elf to look after Draco.

When Lucius had spoken with Draco about what was happening, Draco had been very quiet. At the end of his speech, Draco sat and did not make a sound. When Lucius had risen to leave, Draco had called out to him. "Father, does this mean I will have two Mothers?"

Lucius had turned, surprised and nodded.

Draco had smiled, happy with the answer.

An annoyed hoot and an additional weight on Lucius' shoulder startled him from his thoughts. "You've seen fit to return, have you? It took you a while."

The owl hooted angrily and held out its leg. Lucius untied the scroll from the owl's leg and read through the formal reply. 

Lucius looked at the owl that was still on his shoulder, "You seem to be getting heavier as of late."

The owl let out an angry hoot and took off from Lucius' shoulder, leaving a deep scratch and ripping his robes in the process. Lucius fingered his wand, contemplating whether it would be a good idea to end the flying feather duster. Lucius decided against it and went to his son's room.

"Draco?" He called, rapping against the door with his cane.

"Yes, Father?"

Lucius opened the door to see a guilty looking Draco with a slice of bacon in his chubby hand and the flying feather duster sitting comfortably next to his son on the bed.

"At least that mystery has been solved." Lucius commented.

Draco looked at his Father, "Orion was hungry, Father." There was a note of petulance in his voice that reminded Lucius that Draco was still so young and yet he was being pulled through this tremendous upheaval.

Lucius looked at the owl, "Draco, your owl will not be able to fly if you feed him too much."

"His name is Orion...My owl?"

Lucius nodded, "Yes, son. He is yours."

Orion hooted happily and flapped his wings.

"He seems to like you better already."

"I feed him, Father."

Lucius smiled - "That may have helped." His tone changed, "Draco, I received a reply from (Name)."

Draco flopped onto his stomach and examined his father. 

"We will be meeting with her the day after tomorrow." Lucius explained. "I...."

"Have you got her a present?"

Lucius was taken aback, unknowingly, Draco had just asked his Father if he was serious about courting you. He shook his head, his son was full of surprises.

"Not yet, Draco."

"Get her something nice. Something she can use."

"I will, son, but before that, I need to tell you something. When we arrive at the (Last Name's) Manor, I expect you to be on your best behaviour. When there, if you want to do something, you ask me as your Father and then you ask (Name's) Father for permission as he is the head of the House. Do you understand, Draco?"

"I understand, Father."

"We are Malfoys and we do not bow to anyone however in this instance we will be guests in another's home."

"I understand, Father."

"Now, Draco. What do you think I should buy (Name)?"

Draco looked around his room and his eyes fell on the Malfoy protection charm that hung on his bed. "Something like that." He pointed at it.

Lucius' eyes fell on it as well and a design began to take place in his mind.

"Thank you, Draco. That is a fantastic idea."

"It was my idea." Draco replied.

Lucius smirked and before Draco could run, Lucius was tickling him. Draco was squealing with laughter and squirming as his dad tickled him. Draco's laughter was infectious and for the first time in a long time, Lucius smiled a true smile.


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The meeting of the House of Malfoy and the House of (Surname) takes place. Spoiler alert: your Mother and Father adore Draco.

Lucius knocked on the door of the (Last Name) Manor while holding an ornate box under his arm. Next to him, Draco fidgeted nervously and this action drew Lucius’ eyes to him. 

“Draco.” Lucius’ tone was sharp and Draco stopped fidgeting immediately; changing his posture into that of an Heir.

A House Elf opened the door but Lucius stayed in his place. It was considered rude to walk into a house of an Old Family without the Head of the House present. There was a rush of magic and (Father’s Name) appeared at the top of the stairs.

“Welcome to our home, Head and Heir of Malfoy.” (Father’s Name) greeted.

“We thank you for the honour of allowing us into your home.” Lucius spoke formally before bowing from the waist. Draco followed his example but as he was an Heir, Draco knelt on the floor.

Lucius’ first impression of the man was that he was not overly proud like some Purebloods he could think of. (Father’s Name) wore formal attire clothing under his thin robes. The robes were not thin from wear but they allowed for flexibility when duelling and were quite rare to come by.

“Rise.” (Father’s Name) said and in his eagerness to comply, Draco stood up too quickly and scratched his arm on Lucius’ cane.

Tears welled up in Draco’s eyes.

“Draco, are you alright?” (Father’s Name) asked.

Lucius’ eyes flicked to his son who was holding his arm and he immediately berated himself for not noticing.

Draco shook his head but refused to let the tears fall.

“Lucius, Draco. You may enter. Come, Draco, we will have a House Elf treat that injury and you will be good as new. You are being a very brave boy.”

Draco looked at his father for permission. Lucius inclined his head to show it was okay to respond and Draco looked to (Father’s Name) before nodding.

Lucius and Draco both stepped into the (Last Name) Manor and felt magic ripple around them.

“Samsy!” (Father’s Name) called and a House Elf appeared.

“What is Master needing?” Samsy asked in a high voice.

“The Malfoy heir, Draco has injured his arm.”

Samsy looked at Draco and clicked his fingers to conjure up a potion.

“Thank you Samsy. That will be all.”

With a crack, Samsy vanished.

Draco shuffled forward shyly and (Father’s Name) knelt down to his height. “You’re being such a good boy, Draco. This will sting but then your arm will be as it was. Is it okay if I put some of this potion on your arm?”

Draco sniffled, nodded and held up his arm. (Father’s Name) uncorked the vial and placed six drops of the potion on Draco’s injured arm. In seconds, the cut had vanished and Draco looked at (Father’s Name) in wonder.

“It truly is amazing what we can do with magic, isn’t it?” (Father’s Name) asked.

Draco nodded absentmindedly, checking that his arm was fully healed.

“Where would we be without it?” Lucius questioned, causing a frown to appear for a second on (Father’s Name)’s face. As soon as it appeared, it vanished.

“Come.” (Father’s Name) beckoned them into the sitting room where Lucius offered the ornate box.

“I bring to you this offering so that the House of (Last Name) may look favourably on the House of Malfoy.”

“Gifts are all very well but we are not simply looking at offerings of trinkets.” (Mother’s Name) spoke as she entered the room.

Lucius inclined his head. “Good.” He thought, “The reputation of the (Last Name) family seems to be accurate so far. It would be a disgrace for both of our families if their reputation and response were not in line with the Old Ways.”

“Lucius. My daughter (Name) is waiting for you in the Duelling Room. I shall guide you there.” (Father’s Name) spoke.

“’Scuse me but what’s a Duelling Room and why’s it important?” Draco asked.

(Father’s Name) smiled gently, “Draco, a Duelling Room is where two witches or wizards can go to practice magic against each other. It is important because it the first serious step in courting a witch and it will show how good a dueller your Father is.”

“Oh. My Father is the best!”

Lucius allowed himself a quick smile.

“Well, I am sold.” An unfamiliar voice spoke up from the doorway, causing the occupants of the room to turn. “Lord Malfoy and Heir Malfoy, I am (Sister’s Name).”

Draco and Lucius bowed.

(Father’s Name) strode out of the room and Lucius followed. The (Last Name) Manor was quite grand, suggesting that the family had been around for several generations and it was not shabby or in a state of disrepair like certain Manors.

(Father’s Name) stopped at a door at the end of a corridor.

“You may enter.” (Father’s Name) stated before turning and walking away.

Lucius gripped his cane tight and entered the Duelling Room. He admired the Room for a few moments before the light vanished and he remembered that (Name) was in here. He immediately pulled out his wand and cast a very low powered Lumos.

A whoosh of air swept past his right ear and he fought the instinct to turn. Instead he focused straight ahead and levelled his wand. There was a crack and this time, Lucius turned and cast Incarcerous wordlessly. There was a thud but no cursing.

“Odd.” Lucius thought as he walked toward the noise. He cast Lumos again and found himself staring at a mannequin whose features were slowly becoming blank again.

Lucius waved his wand in an arc, seeking out all the mannequins and banishing them against the walls with muted thuds.

Light appeared in the Room once again and Lucius had to blink quickly several times. When his eyes were just about back to normal, a flash of teal light zoomed towards him. Seeing no other alternative, Lucius raised his cane in the path of the spell and the teal light was absorbed into the cane.

“That’s handy.” A voice spoke from above and Lucius’ eyes scanned the ceiling for the owner. You were floating in the air, looking down at him.

A whoosh of magic surrounded you and you were placed in front of Lucius. Keeping your face blank, you examined him, “Well, it could be worse – he is actually quite good looking. That is no measure on the type of wizard he is however. Let’s see if his spell work is up to par, shall we?”

You bowed to Lucius and he repeated the movement before firing off two spells simultaneously. 

“Double casting. Now that’s interesting.” You thought as you wandlessly raised a shield.

Lucius’ eyes widened for a fraction of a second before he vanished into a cloud of black fog and soared around the room. You smiled, figuring out his plan and instead of sending curses and jinxes after him, you raised your wand and placed objects in his path that he would have to avoid.

Not too long after, Lucius reappeared in front of you with his wand drawn. He was too tired to maintain the Fog Form but he could still duel with his wand verbally and non-verbally.

Spells flew back and forth between you two. The both of you were looking for a weakness to exploit.

*POV change*

“See, I told you my Father was the best.” Draco stated proudly as he watched his Father fight.

“No one disagreed with you, honey.” (Mother’s Name) replied from next to Draco.

Draco smiled but then his stomach rumbled.

(Father’s Name) returned the smile, “Draco would you like something to eat?”

Draco nodded, “Some pasta please.”

(Father’s Name) snapped his fingers and another House Elf appeared. “What can Lipsy do for Master?”

“Draco would like some pasta. Do you have any preference Draco?”

Draco nodded, “The one with the red sauce.”

“Lipsy will cook some.” The elf replied and popped away. A few moments later, Lipsy returned with the pasta and set it in front of Draco.

Draco was about to eat when he looked at (Father’s Name). At Malfoy Manor, they didn’t thank the elves but this was a different place. He was a guest, wasn’t he? He didn’t want his Father to be upset with him if he wasn’t polite – that would mean he didn’t get any dessert. “Thank you Lipsy.”

Lipsy squeaked, “Young Heir is too kind.”

She vanished.

(Father’s Name) smiled and returned his gaze to the enchanted mirror where you and Lucius were still fighting.

*POV Change*

You were tiring. Your spells were becoming slower and you could feel the drain on your magical core. Lucius didn’t look much better.

You were just about to cast one last spell when the door to the Duelling Room opened and there stood your Father.

“Wands down.” He ordered and you instantly obeyed. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Lucius do the same thing.

“It has been two hours and you both have fought well. Sit and talk.” With a wave of his wand, two chairs appeared in the Duelling Room and your Father left.

For the first time, Lucius examined you. You wore the same light, thin robes that your Father did and obviously, they did not hinder your movement. Your eyes, which had previously been blazing with magic were now a calm (eye colour). You were obviously powerful to be able to control so much magic as well as clever enough to know when to fight head on and when to think outside the box.

You and Lucius walked over to the chairs where you began to talk. Your conversation began very formally but gradually became less so. You spoke of magic, of families, dreams and hopes, likes and dislikes and your experiences at Hogwarts.

Before you knew it, your Father had come to inform you that it was time for Lucius to leave. Standing up, you bowed to Lucius – who waved it off, “I will not have the future Lady Malfoy bowing to me in her own home or my home.”

Lucius kissed your hand before leaving the Room with your Father. When you were sure that they were both gone, a wide smile broke out across your face. It stayed there for a few seconds before you composed yourself and followed your husband-to-be and your Father out of the room.

Draco looked up at you before he and his Father left. “You fight good!”

You smiled at the young boy who so resembled his Father, “Thank you Draco. When you grow up, I have no doubt you will be a powerful dueller and a powerful wizard too.”

“I’m going to be just like my Father.” Draco exclaimed before he and Lucius vanished.


	5. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of the meeting of the Houses of Malfoy and (Surname).

As much as Draco had enjoyed his stay at the House of (Last Name), he was even more excited to be home. Once he realised he was standing in front of Malfoy Manor with his dad, he ran as fast as he could towards the front door.

Lucius shook his head fondly while walking after his son. It was good to see him acting his age even if the circumstances were dire. Lucius stopped as he wondered what would have happened if he had never been forced to join Voldemort by his family. How much would have changed?

Lucius closed his eyes as he imagined his life if Narcissa hadn’t been taken from it. They would be in the sitting room together, eagerly awaiting Draco’s first sign of magic. When it did come, Lucius and Narcissa would praise Draco, probably confusing their son but Draco would understand later why it was important to have magic.

They would walk through the streets of Diagon Alley together proudly and as a family. They were the Malfoy’s and no one dared question their right to be there. As Draco aged, he would overhear the conversations that his Lucius and Narcissa had about his Sorting. 

The conversations would occur so often that Draco would begin to worry about his own Sorting and when he eventually spoke with his parents about it, they would reassure him that there was nothing to be worried about.

Once Draco left the room relieved, Lucius would mutter under his breath “as long as he is not in Hufflepuff or Gryffindor” and Narcissa would douse him in cold water that she had conjured before she walked out of the room.

Lucius didn’t realise how long he was standing there until he felt a tug on his robes. He opened his eyes to see Draco looking up at him.

“Do you miss Mum?” Draco asked.

Lucius managed a tight smile as he knelt down so he was at the same level as his son. “Yes, Draco. I do miss your Mother.”

Draco was silent and wouldn’t meet his Dad’s eyes.

“Draco, is something wrong?” Lucius asked.

Draco shuffled his feet and looked at his elbow. His eyes remained there until he spoke, “I feel sad.”

“Why do you feel sad, Draco?”

“Because the (Last Name’s) are so nice. I watched you today and you were happy.”

“When I was duelling Miss (Name)?”

Draco nodded “But you’re not happy anymore. You miss Mum and you’re only talking to Miss (Name) because you have to.”

Lucius wondered if Draco would ever stop amazing him. He hoped Draco never did.

“As I said before, Draco, I miss your Mother and yes, when I found out that I would have to remarry, I was sad too….”

“What about now?” Draco asked, meeting his Dad’s eyes.

“(Name) is a good person. She is strong, determined and her family are good people too.”

“So, then it’s okay to love Mum and Miss (Name) the same?” Draco asked.

Lucius smiled, “Yes. We are remarkable people. Not only do we have magic but we have the ability to love many people at one time.”

“What’s remarkable mean?” Draco questioned, tilting his head to the side.

“It means special.”

“If I’m special that must mean you’re special too!” Draco exclaimed after a few moments. As Lucius sat down on the grass, Draco climbed into his lap.

“Are Miss (Name) and her family special?”

Lucius smiled, “Very much so and Draco, if you are ever scared or upset and I am not around, you need to go find Miss (Name), okay?”

Draco yawned, “Okay Dad.”

POV Change

“Father, what did you think of Lucius Malfoy and his son?” You asked as you sat together in the Lounge Room.

“Draco is well mannered and courteous. While Lucius is talented magically, I am not sure that his beliefs would suit our family.”

“What do you mean Father?” (Sister’s Name) asked.

“When I was treating young Draco’s elbow, Lucius made a comment that proved to me he feels superior to those who do not have magic. If he is comfortable making a remark such as that in the House of an Old Family, how do you think he would treat a young child who has no knowledge of the Magical World but is blessed with the gift of magic?”

(Mother’s Name) frowned, “Do we have any proof of his involvement with Voldemort? Maybe the beliefs that Lucius holds were forced on him.”

“That still does not excuse his comment.” (Father’s Name) stated. “I am not making a blanket statement that all muggles are innocent of prejudice to those who have magical blood running in their veins. All I am saying is that there is a cycle of vengeance and ignorance and something needs to be done about it.”

(Sister’s Name) rested her head on her hand, “There may be a way to tell if Lucius was coerced into joining Voldemort and this influenced his beliefs. I’ve been doing some reading and if he has the Dark Mark but was forced in any way to take the Mark, there is a spell and a potion that can remove the Mark. Essentially, from what I’ve heard, it is a tattoo albeit a moving one.”

“(Name)? You are uncharacteristically quiet. What’s your opinion on this matter?” Your Father asked.

It was a few moments before you responded. “I did not hear the comment that you refer to Father, however, when I was duelling Lucius, I found him to be quite capable and the conversations that we had after the duel were interesting. From what you have said about Draco and the brief meeting I had with him, he seems to be an intelligent boy and very loyal to his Father.”

“Do you believe that you could uphold the traditions of the (Last Name) family if you married into the Malfoy family?” Your Father asked.

“Yes, Father, I do.” You answered.

“Then I shall allow this courtship to proceed.”


	6. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your courtship with Lucius Malfoy takes a step forward in an interesting direction. Also, Draco makes a new friend and Lucius comes close to destroying a street in the Muggle world.
> 
> From this point onwards, Draco and Harry are three years old.

It was two months into the courtship of you and Lucius Malfoy. Although you two haven’t had an official date yet, Lucius and Draco have visited your home on several different occasions and today, you would be visiting Malfoy Manor for the first time. You would be visiting the Manor in the afternoon as Draco was attending a Wizarding Playgroup in the morning.

You couldn’t deny that Lucius was attractive but you were also beginning to see the depths to him. He was intelligent, a master of politics and devoted to his son. Speaking of Draco, the boy was initially shy and reserved the first few visits to your House but had opened up quite a lot. Last week, he had demonstrated his magic, much to the delight of Lucius and your Mother.

Your Father was still slightly wary of Lucius and his beliefs and your sister was stressing out due to the fact that her meeting with her betrothed, Severus Snape, was due to happen in less than a week. She had few memories of the man due to the age gap between them however she remembered that he has a love and dedication to Potions and on a less positive note, she also remembered the stories of the Marauders torment of him.

You cast a quick Tempus and after finding out that it was still early, you stretched and climbed out of bed. After a shower, you walked into the kitchen only to find your sister was the only one in the kitchen.

“Morning (Name).” She said through a yawn.

“Morning (Sister’s Name).” You replied as you sat down to have your breakfast. Mid-way through your breakfast, you noticed your sister staring at you.

“What have I done this time?” You sighed.

“Nothing.” She replied with her hands curled around the cup she was using, “I’m slightly envious of you.”

You sat down with an audible thud, “You are jealous of me?”

Your sister closed her eyes, “Neither of us wanted to be in this position – betrothed to someone by decree of the Ministry but so far you’ve handled it really well. Draco adores you; if his Father isn’t in the room, he follows you around like a lost puppy and you’re really good with him. I see the way that you look at Lucius but I can’t help thinking and worrying about what’ll happen if Severus Snape isn’t like that with me. I know how that sounds but…”

You stood up and engulfed your sister in a hug. “Do you wanna know something? I’m terrified that when I’m with Draco or Lucius, I’m going to say or do something stupid and destroy everything. One minute I feel like I’m on top of the world and the next, reality catches up to me and reminds me of everything that can go wrong. I’m scared too.”

Your sister looked up at you, “Thanks.”

You smiled down at her, “You’re welcome. Besides, you and Severus Snape do have one thing in common already.”

Your sister perked up, “What?”

“You have been pushed into this against your will and if all fails, you can slip in snide remarks about the Ministry of Magic.” You stood up and so did your sister.

(Sister’s Name) groaned, “They should be called the Ministry of Delusional Idiots Who Have Forgotten What It’s Like to Be a Magical Being Today.”

“That’s a mouthful.” You quipped, “Imagine telling someone where you work.” You adopted a pompous tone, “Yes, Master Woldroff. I work in the Accidental Magical Reversal Squad in the Ministry of Delusional Idiots Who Have Forgotten What It’s Like to Be a Magical Being Today.”

Your sister snickered. She then conjured a monocle and squinted. “Ah, yes.” She adopted the same tone as you. “I’ve heard of that department – I personally work in the Magical Law Department where the first rule is, remember our laws but throw them out the window whenever we so desire and we have the approval of our esteemed Minister Cornelius Fudge when doing so. Fudge truly lives up to his name and creates a mess where ever he goes.”

You and your sister were doubled over laughing. It was nice to laugh at your often-crazy world.

You stopped laughing when you heard a very familiar screech. It took your sister a few moments to realise you weren’t still laughing and to stop laughing herself. “(Name)? Is something wrong?”

“I thought I just heard Jupiter screech but I’ve never heard him that angry before.”

Just as your sister was about to reply, the screech reached your ears again and if possible, this screech was louder and angrier.

“Better go see what’s going on.” You stated, moving toward the door.

“Tinker!” Your sister called out and a House Elf appeared.

“You called Mistress?” Tinker asked.

“There’s something wrong with Jupiter and we need you to come with us to find out what it is.”

“Yes Mistress.” Tinker answered, following you and (Sister’s Name) out of the door.

You followed the sounds of your owl screeching and when you saw Jupiter, you saw another owl frantically flapping his wings and barking at Jupiter.

“Jupiter!” You called and at once, Jupiter fluttered down onto your arm.

The second owl flew closer cautiously. 

Jupiter spread his wings and barked warningly causing the second owl to stop flying. The second owl just hovered there barking insistently.

Tinker came forward and regarded the second owl who barked urgently.

After a few moments, Tinker turned to face you.

“This owl be Master Draco’s owl. The owl was watching Master Draco during his playgroup time and they went on an excursion to the Muggle World. Master Draco was eager to go and was with several other children. When the playgroup returned Master Draco was not with them.”

You looked at Jupiter, “Will you allow him to come close? He needs help to find his human.”

Jupiter fluffed his feathers and the second owl chirped impatiently, ruffling his own feathers.

Finally, Jupiter came to a decision and fluttered onto your sister’s shoulder. He gave the second owl a long look and barked once. The second owl flew over to your shoulder immediately and began hooting.

Tinker turned to you, “Orion” here the owl gave a hoot at his name “only overheard “park with equipment” and “Muggle World”.” You frowned and crossed your arms, by the time you searched every park with equipment in the Muggle World – Draco could be in any sort of trouble and you really didn’t want to think about that.

Orion seemed to sense your distress because he perked up and hooted once more.

Tinker gasped, “Mistress (Name)! He also heard “Surrey.”

You turned to look at your sister, “Do whatever it takes to contact Lucius. I don’t care if the court is in session and you have to drop a Dungbomb. Tell him what’s going on and get him to meet me at the park.”

Your sister nodded, “You sure you know where you’re going?”

“Yes, remember? Father took us into the Muggle World after we finished at Hogwarts. He left us in various places and we had to find our way home without magic. One of them was Surrey.”

You looked at Orion, “I’m going to Disapparate now, so hold on tight but not too tight.” Orion hooted and dug his talons in.

You closed your eyes and you felt yourself hurtling through space.

Thankfully, when your feet returned to solid ground, you were hidden behind a building. Orion checked himself over and began hooting insistently.

“Go find your human. I’ll follow you.”

Orion flew off without a hoot and you checked the coast was clear before you followed. The Muggle neighbourhood hadn’t changed much and you were able to find your way to the park. 

You started walking faster as you entered the park and just as you were about to stop in the middle of it, you heard a series of hoots. Breathing a quick sigh of relief, you followed the hoots only to find your vision partially obstructed by a morbidly obese man and a very, very thin woman.

“Draco?” You called out, causing the man and woman to turn towards you. 

Draco came running towards you as fast as he could. Orion was perched on his shoulder and while Orion looked unhappy at the rapid speed Draco was moving, Orion also looked proud that he was able to find his human.

You knelt down and Draco rushed into your arms, crying and hiccupping. He wrapped his arms around your neck and you rubbed his back and whispered that he was safe over and over again until he calmed down.

Draco sniffled as he drew back and wiped his nose on his hand. Gently, you brushed away the tears that were running down his cheeks. 

“Freaks. The lot of them.” The obese man commented scathingly and Draco’s lower lip trembled. 

You drew Draco back into your arms and glared at the obese man. Leaves began to swirl on the ground as a wind sprung from nowhere. Branches began creaking, trees began to sway alarmingly and piles of leaves fell onto the ground.

“Draco.” You whispered, “You need to calm down. You’re safe. Don’t listen to what that man is saying." 

Draco trembled in your arms, his hands gripping tightly to your clothing. “’S not me.”

A shadow fell over the two of you and you looked up into the furious eyes of Lucius Malfoy.

In that moment, you understood your Father’s concern perfectly. This wasn’t the Lucius you had come to know over his visits to your Manor and begun to fall for; this Lucius could raze the Muggle World to the ground if the obese man dared open his mouth again.

Draco was in no state to move and Orion fluttered onto Lucius’ shoulder, looking every bit the protector that he was.

The obese man took a step forward and Orion flared his wings out.

The thin woman made a grab for her husband, “Vernon, stay back.” The obese man shook off her hand and strode towards Lucius.

Lucius stood confidently. His shoulders were back, his head was held high and his hand was resting on his cane.

The obese man, Vernon, invaded Lucius’ personal space. “You Freaks can’t just leave us normal people alone can you?” He shouted, “It’s not like we ever wanted him in the first place!” He continued, spraying spit over Lucius’ clothing.

Lucius wrinkled his nose and wiped himself down before fixing Vernon with a glare that could have frozen over Britain. Vernon was about to continue his tirade when you sent a silent, wandless Silencio at the man. In any other situation, it would have been hilarious to see the overly fat man waving his arms around but unable to speak. His wife started screaming, so you sent another one her way.

You were very thankful that the park was deserted.

A smirk moved across Lucius’ face as he looked down at you. He took in Draco buried in your arms and then appeared to consider Vernon’s words.

Lucius’ hand tightened on his cane, “You’ve probably realised that you are incapable of speech at the present time. I want you to nod or shake your head to answer the question I am about to ask. Do you understand?”

Vernon stayed stubbornly silent.

Lucius looked like he was about to draw his wand and curse the man when Orion flew off of Lucius’ shoulder and landed on Vernon’s head and flexed his talons. Vernon froze where he was.

“Do you understand?” Lucius demanded again.

Vernon nodded as much as he dared with Orion on his head.

“You weren’t talking about my son, when you made your first mistake in my presence were you?” Lucius asked.

Vernon carefully shook his head no.

Just as Lucius was about to ask another question a fat child ran towards Vernon. “Dad, I found the Freak. I want to go home now.”

Vernon didn’t move.

“DAD! DIDN’T YOU HEAR ME? I WANT TO GO HOME NOW!”

Orion flinched and screeched at the child, digging his talons into his perch. 

Soundlessly, Vernon and his wife yelled.

You looked up and behind the fat child was Harry Potter.


	7. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Draco take Harry back to Malfoy Manor.
> 
> Lucius makes an oath that'll ruffle a few feathers in the not too distant future.

When you were processing the fact that Draco had managed to find Harry Potter, Draco had calmed down. Lucius on the other hand was far from calm - he had put two and two together and his rage at a Magical child (especially a very famous one) being devalued in such a way by his Muggle relatives was enough to get the wheels in his head spinning.

At this point, Orion decided that he had inflicted enough pain on his perch; he spread his wings and flew over to your shoulder. He settled there looking quite proud of himself.

"(Name), please take Draco and Harry to the Malfoy Manor. I shall be there shortly."

The Silencing Spell lifted as you nodded and tentatively moved towards Harry. His cousin was unintentionally acting as a shield for Harry. It seemed that the cousin relied on intimidation and tantrums to get his way - which may prove to be a problem for you, Draco and Harry.

"You can't take him!" The obese Muggle spat.

"And why not?" Lucius asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Because it is our obligation to take care of the brat." The horse faced woman muttered.

You glared at her with such ferocity that she and her husband took a few quick steps back. "Looking after a child is never an obligation," you seethed, "it is a choice and if you truly think it is an obligation then perhaps you should reconsider why you chose to have a child in the first place."

You didn't notice Lucius' look of approval as you walked towards Harry with Draco following close behind and your hand resting on your wand hilt. The overweight boy took one look at you and decided it was best to get out of your way. He stepped to the side and pushed Harry towards you with enough force that Harry stumbled into your arms.

A screech from Orion had the overweight boy waddling as fast as he could to his parents. You didn't need to look at Lucius to know that he was beyond furious at the display that he had just witnessed.

"Hello." You said quietly to the boy in your arms.

He didn't say anything in return and you couldn't really blame him for that. 

"My name is (Name)," you continued at the same volume "and this is Draco."

Draco waved from beside you.

"Harry needs a family." Draco stated, "Can he be my brother?"

Harry looked at Draco and then at you, "I want a brother."

You smiled gently, "If you want Draco to be your brother, does that mean you want me to look after you?"

Harry sniffed and without warning, he hugged you as tightly as he could muster. The wind was knocked out of you but you returned the hug gently.

After a few moments, you pulled back. "Harry," you began, "I'm going to take you and Draco to Draco's home."

"Malfoy Manor." Draco interjected rather proudly for a three year old.

"What's a Manor?" Harry asked.

"It's a big, big house!" Draco babbled excitedly, "We have gardens and kitchens and places to play and heaps of pea..pe...peak..."

"Peacocks, Draco." You supplied, smiling at his enthusiasm.

"I get my own room too!" Draco continued.

Harry looked at you "Can we go now?" He asked.

You nodded.

"Harry, you need to hold onto my hand tightly." Harry did so. "This is going to feel a bit strange but I need you to stay calm. Can you do that?" At Harry's nod, you made sure that Draco was holding onto your other hand before you Disapperated.

Moments later, you reappeared in front of Malfoy Manor and the many House Elves swarmed out to meet you. 

Harry shrank back behind your legs and you quickly turned to comfort him. "Harry. You're safe. These are House Elves and they belong to Draco and Draco's father. They're here to help."

Harry nodded and latched onto your leg - if the situation wasn't so upsetting, you would have cooed at the action. 

"Draco, why don't you lead the way? I'm sure you and Harry will be warmer inside."

Draco nodded and walked towards the entrance of Malfoy Manor. When everyone was inside, Orion let out a happy hoot and left his perch on your shoulder to fly to Draco's room. Harry held tight to your leg but when you entered the Dining Room, his mouth dropped open in shock.

"It's so big!" He whispered as though someone might hear him.

For a few moments, you found that cute until you realised that he probably was afraid that someone might hear him and punish him. You resolved to mention that to Lucius when he returned to the Manor.

You nodded, "It is big. You do get used to it after a while."

Draco pulled you and Harry to sit next to him at the table and once you were seated a House Elf emerged with sandwiches and soup for all of you.

The look on Harry's face broke your heart. The poor boy looked like he wanted to have the food but was afraid of how you and Draco would react.

"'Arry, food is for oo." Draco said around a mouthful of bread.

"Draco." You chastised, "We do not talk with food in our mouths."

"Sorry."

"Harry," the boy turned to look at you, "Draco is right. The food is for you to eat."

"'S too much." Harry muttered, ducking his head shyly.

"Just eat what you can." You urged and breathed a quiet sigh of relief when Harry started eating.

When Lucius returned you definitely would have some suggestions for punishments for Harry's "family" and once your family heard about this, it was certain that they would have some ideas as well.

"Mistress?" Flipsy the House Elf squeaked from next to you.

"Yes Flipsy?" You inquired.

"We is wanting to know if Master is returning soon."

You opened your mouth to respond but were cut off when Lucius strode into the Dining Room. At once you could see that his face was the cold mask he wore in public. From his face, you knew that he had a plan and that it was not going to end well for Harry's relatives.

"Once Harry and Draco have finished their meal, you may take them upstairs for their nap, Flipsy." If Lucius' face hadn't let you know that he was beyond angry with Harry's relatives then his tone of voice certainly did and Flipsy picked up on it too.

Lucius sat down in a chair and rested his cane on his legs. He barely touched his meal.

After Harry and Draco had left the room with Flipsy, Lucius pushed his plate away and stared into the fire. 

Following his lead, you pushed your plate away before you made your way to his side and you placed a hand on his shoulder.

Lucius looked at you, "With some persuasion, I returned with them to their house and I was appalled with what I found. Not only did they allocate a cupboard as his room, they would punish Harry by locking him in there and controlling the amount of food he could eat."

Lucius shrugged off your hand and pushed himself out of his chair. He paced the room, his voice growing steadily louder with ever word he spoke, "He never had a birthday, he was pushed around and prodded by his cousin, constantly insulted and belittled by his aunt and uncle, punished for having magic and generally treated as a second class citizen! They had no remorse for what they did and I think....no I know that this treatment would have only increased as he aged! He is very malnourished for a child his age! They will pay for the rest of their lives for harming a magical child, I swear this to you on the Malfoy name and on my magic!"

A powerful gust of air swirled around Lucius as he finished speaking, showing Magic's acceptance of his oath. Even without the rush of air and Magic's acceptance, you didn't doubt Lucius words for an instant. You knew that by the time he finished with Harry's relatives, they'd be wishing that they'd never heard of the Magical World and by the time that you finished with them, they wouldn't be too happy in their world either.


	8. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ramifications of Lucius' oath begin to appear and a union between families takes place.

After Lucius made his oath and Magic accepted it, he examined your features closely. He noticed how your brow furrowed and how your hands were clasped together in front of your nose and mouth. He waited a few minutes before you started speaking.

“While your Oath has been recognised by Magic – it would only affect Harry’s Muggle family in the Wizarding World because of its Caster.” Lucius opened his mouth to protest but you held up a hand, “You know that my family has connections in the Muggle world as well as the British Wizarding World. Might I suggest that you focus on serving them justice in the Wizarding World while my family and I focus on destroying their reputations in the Muggle world? With my entire family united and with the influence we all wield, the Dursleys would have nowhere to run.”

A smirk emerged on Lucius’ face, “To incur the wrath of Lucinda and Cyrus Greengrass is fearsome in itself but to go up against Alessandra Zabini as well? I hope the Dursleys have their Wills prepared.”

As soon as Lucius mentioned the word “Wills” the wheels in your head started turning. First you wondered if Lily and James had maintained their own Wills and then you wondered who the witnesses to those Wills were. You had a bad feeling about one of the people who had witnessed the Wills and what the reason behind Harry being raised by the Dursleys could be. 

You then wondered how Harry ended up at the Dursleys to start with especially if there was a high possibility that Harry would turn out to have Magic – there were rumours that Lily and her sister were not as close as they once were and you knew for a fact that Lily would choose any one of her friends from Hogwarts to raise Harry if she and James could not.

The quiet was shattered by the crack of a House Elf appearing which caused you to flinch as it took you by surprise.

“Dobby.” Lucius’ voice was harsh and the House Elf cowered in response, twisting his ears in response.

“Dobby is sorry to interrupt meeting with Master and Mistress. Dobby just be wanting to tell that Master Draco and Harry Potter be awake. Master Draco usually sleeps longer. Dobby will go punish himself now.”

Before you registered what you were doing, you moved and knelt by the nervous elf, “Dobby, it’s not your fault that Harry and Draco woke up earlier than you thought they would. It has been an exciting and surprising day for the both of them.”

Dobby looked up at you with tears in his huge eyes, “New Mistress is kind.” With a crack, he disappeared and you stood up and turned to face Lucius.

Lucius’ wand was raised slightly and there was a cold look in his eyes however, his gaze was unfocused and he seemed to be focused on something else. Unsure about what to say and what movements you could make without causing the situation to escalate, you stayed as still as you could.

The tense atmosphere was disrupted when two boys entered the room. Draco stood in front of Harry and both of the boys looked between you and Lucius rapidly.

“Is something wrong?” Harry asked tentatively.

This time it was Lucius who knelt down and with his arms outstretched, he engulfed the boys in a hug.

“Nothing is wrong, boys. Unfortunately, as my and (Name)’s courtship is still relatively new, she cannot spend the night quite yet....”

“That’s not fair!” Draco yelled, pulling back from the hug and he stomped his foot angrily, “I want her to stay! I don’t want her to go! Her place is here!”

“Draco Lucius Malfoy. Your behaviour is unbecoming of an Heir. You need to stop it this instant.” During this sentence, Lucius didn’t raise his voice once but there was a hint of Malfoy Family Magic in his voice which caused Draco to look down at the ground.

“As I was saying, (Name) cannot spend the night yet which presents us with quite a dilemma. She was the first Magical adult that found Harry so for the time being, that means she can decide what happens to Harry for the time being, specifically, whether or not he stays here at Malfoy Manor or whether he goes with (Name) to (Last Name) Manor until his guardianship is sorted.”

Harry mumbled something into Lucius’ shirt.

“What was that, young Harry?” Lucius asked gently.

Licking his lips nervously, Harry drew back to look at Lucius, “If I go with (Name), can I come back here?”

Lucius smoothed the hair back from Harry’s face, “Harry, no matter what happens with your guardianship, you will always be welcome at Malfoy Manor. I promise you this.”

Harry’s lower lip trembled and he flung himself at Lucius. “I wanna go with (Name). She’s nice and you’re nice too.”

Draco flung himself at your legs, “Don’t keep him away too long. I want to see Harry again soon.” He frowned up at you.

You rubbed his back, “Of course. I would never dream of keeping him away from his older brother.”

Draco beamed, “I’m the oldest one! That means he has to listen to me, right?”

You smiled, “You’d think so but it doesn’t always work out that way.”

Lucius carefully stood as not to jostle Harry too much and kissed your knuckles once Draco stepped out of the way, “Until next time, (Name).”

*Time skip and location change*

As soon as (Last Name) Manor appeared, Harry asked if you could carry him. Immediately, you knelt and picked him up and he snuggled into your shoulder with his head resting in the space between your neck and shoulder.

The walk to the entrance of the Manor didn’t take long and your dad was waiting to greet you. He glared when he saw the small boy cuddled up to you.

“So, it’s true then.” Your dad’s lips had thinned so much that they were barely noticeable. Unable to do much else, you nodded and your dad stepped aside so that you could enter. Harry lifted his head and looked at your dad.

“Harry, this is my dad. Dad, this is Harry Potter.”

“’Lo.” Harry said before lowering his head again.

Your dad’s lips weren’t as thin as they were when he first saw you but they were still very thin. Nevertheless, he managed to wave and say “Hello Harry. It’s nice to meet you.” As you were facing away from your dad, you didn’t see Harry raise his head and beam at your dad but you did feel Harry move.

Your dad walked past you and into the Dining Room, clearly indicating that you needed to follow him. Once you entered the Dining Room, all of the people present stood up to welcome you and a weight attached herself to your legs. You managed a stiff bow before you looked down at the weight on your legs.

“Daphne, my wonderful Goddaughter. How are you?”

Daphne smiled, showing you a full set of teeth and then frowned as she saw that you were carrying someone.

“Who’s that?” She asked as she released her hold on your legs and stepped back.

Bracing yourself, you spoke, “Harry, would you like to turn around and wave hello to everybody?”

Harry shook his head and snuggled deeper into your shoulder. You sighed, (you had a feeling you’d be doing a lot of that from now on), “I would like to formally present Harry Potter to the Greengrass family and the (Last Name) family.”

“Surely it cannot be.” The Dowager Greengrass spoke up with both her hands resting on her cane. “We were told he was safe and that he was being looked after. This boy cannot be more than one year old.”

You examined the room for the first time. Lucinda Greengrass’ hand was resting on her slightly swollen belly and her other hand was covering her mouth. Cyrus looked furious at the situation and about half a second from transforming from Daphne’s dad to her Father. Daphne looked sad, her blue eyes already swimming with tears. (Sister’s Name) was gripping her wand tightly and on her face was a look you’d seen many times before – she was ready to use the Floo Network to storm into the Ministry to demand change be taken.

Your mum was clutching the knife she was holding tightly. She was holding it so tightly that her magic began changing the knife different colours. Your Father was clenching his hands; his knuckles were white and magic was pouring off of him in waves.

Picking up on the magic and the atmosphere, Harry whimpered and that broke the spell. Your mum stood swiftly and approached Harry cautiously. “Harry, would you like to join Daphne, Lucinda and I in the Sitting Room? We’re going to be reading a story.”

Harry’s head shot up quickly, “Story?”

Your mum nodded slowly, “Yes, Harry, a story.”

Harry turned to look at you, “Can I go, please?”

It broke your heart that Harry didn’t stretch out “please” like your sister had done as a child or as Draco had done many times. Realising Harry was waiting for an answer, you nodded, “Of course Harry.”

Harry wriggled in an attempt to get down and you smiled before kneeling on the ground and opening your arms. Eagerly, Harry ran to your mum and held onto her offered hand. By the time Daphne and Lucinda joined you, Harry was almost bouncing from excitement.

Harry didn’t stop looking at you happily until he rounded the corner and was out of sight.

It was deathly quiet in the Dining Room as you took a seat. You chanced a glance at all the people in the Dining Room and none of their expressions had changed. 

“An explanation is in order, young witch.” The Dowager Greengrass spoke up again.

You had given up long ago trying to get the Dowager Greengrass to stop calling you “young witch,” so you simply began recounting what had occurred earlier in the day. (Sister’s Name) then explained that she did actually drop a Dungbomb as the court was in session. She explained that Lucius had been furious at her actions until she quickly explained that Draco was lost in the Muggle world in Surrey. She also explained that Lucius had sent a Patronus message to your dad with a succinct summary of what had happened today. 

You realised that’s why your dad was waiting for you at the entrance of the Manor. It was simply a coincidence that the Greengrass family decided to visit.

Fury laced Cyrus’ voice as he spoke, “We were deceived twice. First with Voldemort’s promises of a better world for our children and now regarding the treatment and housing arrangements of Harry Potter, Heir to the Ancient and Noble House of Potter. There will not be a third time where the House of Greengrass is dishonoured in such a way. We will ally ourselves with you…”

“Cyrus!” The Dowager Greengrass thumped her cane on the floor, “Calm yourself! Be cautious about the words you use. I too wish to bring punishment to those involved in Harry’s horrible upbringing but right now, you’re thinking and acting like a First Year Gryffindor. Am I right in assuming that Lucius’ oath will bind him by making sure that he takes action to destroy the Dursleys in the Magical world, (Name)?”

“Yes, Honourable Lady Greengrass.”

“Very well. Like you, I have connections in the Muggle world. My grandnephew informed me that the patriarch of the family has just been promoted in his job. That shall be the first thing to go. I will also request to examine his bank statements and see if there is anything incriminating in there. I will also Owl Alessandra Zabini – she may have some delightful ideas around psychological retribution.”

Your sister shuddered and you couldn’t really blame her, Alessandra’s ideas around psychological torments were well known in the Italian and British Wizarding worlds.

Your Father spoke up, “We shall destroy the Dursley’s public image piece by piece. Every comfort they’ve come to enjoy shall be taken from them. Their neighbours will gossip. Every promise of wealth will crumble into dust.”

Cyrus thumped his hand on his leg, “Along the same vein, the Greengrass family will destroy any public credibility they have. Schools will tumble over themselves to find excuses not to accept their child. Banks will refuse their service. They will not find a credible lawyer to defend them and the only security they will have is that of their cell for they will be found guilty. Their child shall be physiologically and psychologically examined and if there is hope for him, he shall be placed with a family we deem worthy.”

“This is all well and good.” Your sister spoke up, causing everyone to look at her, “However, we are all missing the elephant in the room. Our first step should be to examine Lily and James’ Wills. I think we may find more people to punish through that vein.”

“Then perhaps that should be your area of inquiry, (Sister’s Name).” The Dowager Greengrass spoke.

“Honourable Lady Greengrass, if I may?” You began and after her nod of approval, you continued, “Much like I was, my sister has been assigned a Husband and this is an area of concern for her. As I was the first Magical adult to connect with Harry Potter, perhaps I should be the one to examine the Wills?”

The Dowager nodded, “Very well. I shall accompany you on that day – our claim to the Wills will be stronger that way. James was my second cousin’s nephew, once removed. No one should deny my claim. You are the daughter of his Uncle’s son.”

Lucinda and your mum came in as the Dowager finished speaking. “Harry and Daphne are asleep. Daphne’s reading is coming along nicely and while Harry is nowhere near her level yet, he is able to distinguish some letters by themselves. I have the feeling his magic has been repressed and shunned. For he changed his hair to be like that of the wizard who battled a Nundu and cowered as if he was expecting a punishment.”

“We were discussing avenues of retribution that we shall be taking to avenge the sorrow Heir Potter has been subjected to.”

Your mum straightened her posture and became your Mother, “I shall contact a Healer and proceed from there.”

Lucinda spoke up, “Healer Johnson has served our family well for two generations. I shall recommend his services. May I suggest that you ask for a House Elf examination as well? They can detect things our Healers cannot?”

“I shall honour your suggestion, Lady Greengrass.” Your Mother promised.

Before anyone could say anything further, Orion flew through the window and landed on your shoulder. With a loud hoot, he held out his leg so you could take the scroll attached to it. Unravelling it, you found a message from Lucius Malfoy that you quickly read aloud.

(Name),

I have pleaded Harry Potter’s case to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and you have been named Harry Potter’s temporary guardian until such a time a permanent magical guardian can be found.

I hope this has been of some assistance to you,

Lucius Malfoy, Head of the Ancient and Noble House of Malfoy. 

*Location change*

Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, looked up from his paperwork just in time to see a silver artefact on his desk pause in its rotation, release a plume of red smoke and explode with a small bang.

Dumbledore paled and whipped out his wand in an attempt to repair the artefact to no avail. He used every binding spell he knew but still the artefact remained in pieces. A letter coming out of his fireplace and landing on his desk disrupted him from his task.

He snatched up the letter and read through in great haste and he grew more and more irritated with every word. With a snarl, he threw the letter to the side and began pacing.

The letter landed face up on a chair reminding him that temporary guardianship of one Harry Potter had been given to (Name) (Surname) until such a time where a permanent Magical guardian was found.

Dumbledore paused in his pacing, “This will not do.” He remarked.


	9. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your sister duels her betrothed Severus Snape, Dumbledore plots and fails, Lucius begins his plan and Dumbledore plots some more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys,
> 
> I really hope you enjoy this chapter and please leave any ideas, questions or feedback below. In this chapter, there are slight mentions of abuse, so please, if that is a sensitive topic for you, don't push yourself to read this chapter.

Dinner that night was a quiet affair and every few minutes, a member of your family would peek out of the corner of their eye to make sure that Harry was still eating. A few minutes later, Harry stopped eating and your Father was the first to notice.

“Harry, is everything okay? Have you had enough to eat?”

Harry kept his eyes on his plate and nodded. 

Your Mother finished her meal, stood up and held her hand out to Harry. “Come Harry,” she ordered softly, “we shall not make you eat more than you want to. Now it’s time for bed.”

Harry yawned as he took your Mother’s hand and started to walk out of the room then he paused and tugged on your Mother’s robes. “Yes, Harry?”

Harry averted his eyes as he spoke “Um, what did the message s-s-s-say? Th-th-the one that came with the owl?”

Your Mother knelt down so that she was the same height as Harry, “The message that the owl had was from Lucius Malfoy. It said that for the time being, (Name) is your guardian and don’t be worried; we will do everything in our power to make sure that you stay safe with us permanently. This house is your home too.”  
Harry nodded and he and your Mother walked up to the room where he had his nap earlier in the day.

A few minutes later you and your sister made your way to your rooms. It was still early in the night when there was a flash of purple light. You grasped your wand and made your way to your sister’s room. You were just about to knock on her door when there was another flash of purple light and her door flew open. There standing in the middle of a circle made of floating candles was your sister and her eyes were glowing. When she saw you, she waved her hand and the candles crashed onto the floor.

“Thanks very much for interrupting my ritual.” She snarled.

“What in the name of Merlin were you thinking?!” You replied in exactly the same tone, “If you were about to perform the ritual that I think you were….”

“Exactly, “you think.” (Sister’s Name) put finger quotes around the words, “Have you even asked about what’s bothering me? Go on, take a guess!”

“Your meeting with your soon to be husband tomorrow?”

“And she gets it!” (Sister’s Name) exclaimed sarcastically, “What she doesn’t get is that she’s not welcome in my room.”

You breathed out your breath in a long sigh as you made your way to her door and you paused as you were about to exit, “I know that your area of specialty is rituals and potions and you have no idea how grateful I am for your inventive mind but the ritual that I think you were going to use would have stopped access to your magical core for a day and then once you regained access to your core, there is no certainty that you would notice an increase in your magical core and your magical abilities. The addictive rush of that ritual would push you into performing it repeatedly and along the way, you would forget why you’re performing it. I’ll be down in the training room tonight and early tomorrow morning if you want to practice.”

With that, you left your sister’s room.

*Time skip*

By the time your Father came down to have his breakfast in his formal attire and thin, duelling robes, you and (Sister’s Name) had already been up for three hours.

Your Father squinted at you both, “Has Merlin reconvened the Round Table?”

You and your sister shared a look, “Err, no? Not that we’re aware of.” (Sister’s Name) replied.

“So why are you both up early? This wouldn’t have anything to do with the ritual that was almost performed last night would it?” (Father’s Name) questioned, a steely glint in his eyes.

Your sister raised her head and her eyes had the exact same glint in them but she didn’t reply. Neither did you, especially when you knew the question was rhetorical.  
The silence lingered for a while until your dad spoke, “We will speak about this later and it may relax you to know that potions can be used in duels and no one will think less of you if you were to use potions to attempt to gain the advantage in your duel.”

“If they do,” you piped up, “we’ll just keep them talking, discreetly transport them to a Muggle area and then have them arrested for breaking the International Statute of Secrecy.” 

The steely glint left your sister’s eyes and she smiled at you before leaving the room. You were fairly sure that she was going to collect the potions that she wanted to use in her duel. It’d be interesting to see how she handled herself in a duel against Severus Snape, a man who was rumoured to have ties to Voldemort and Dumbledore. He was also rumoured to be an exceptional Potions Brewer.

The crack of a House Elf appearing startled you both and you looked down to see Lipsy, “Lipsy is sorry to interrupt Master and Mistress but Lord Malfoy be waiting at the border of the wards wanting to talk to both of yous and Tinker be saying that Jupiter is close to barking.”

“Very well. Thank you very much Lipsy. Let him in please; we shall see what Lord Malfoy has to say.”

Your Father strode outside and you followed closely behind him. When Lucius saw the both of you, he formally inclined his head to your Father. “I was wondering if Harry would like to come to Malfoy Manor for a play date with Draco today? I apologise for the short notice however; I believe it would be better for all parties for Harry to spend today away from the (Last Name) Manor.”

Your Father’s eyes narrowed, “For what purpose?”

“Simply because too many adults may overwhelm Harry.” Lucius replied smoothly.

You didn’t need to look at your Father to know that he didn’t believe Lucius. The silence between the three of you stretched until your Father nodded, “Very well, I consent to the play date. Lipsy,” there was a crack as the House Elf appeared, “would you please inform Harry that Lucius is here to take him for a play date at Malfoy Manor and could you prepare him for the day?”

“Lipsy will!” The House Elf squeaked and disappeared with a crack.

Lucius smiled thinly and a couple of minutes later, Harry exited the front door clutching (Sister’s Name)’s hand tightly. He smiled as he saw Lucius and threw himself into Lucius’ arms. Lucius straightened up and bowed as much as he could, “(Sister’s Name), it was a pleasure to see you again. May Lady Magic be on your side today during your duel.”

Harry waved goodbye and Lucius Disapperated. Once your Father was sure they’d gone, he turned to you, “I don’t need to tell you that that was strange.”

“I trust him.” The words were out of your mouth before you’d registered them.

Your Father levelled you with the same look he’d given (Sister’s Name) this morning, “I did not ask if you trusted him. I merely commented that his behaviour and words were strange and require further thought.”

“Besides, aren’t the Greengrass family visiting today to witness my duel? They couldn’t attend yours due to their business in Wales and France.” Your sister remarked.

You turned to face your sister and for the first time, she was showing just how nervous she was, “Hey, you’ve got this.” You said softly, “Just remember to play to your strengths. That’s all you can do.”

(Sister’s Name) managed a smile before slipping into her public Mask and squaring her shoulders as she walked towards the Manor.

“Well, get a move on.” Your dad gave you a small nudge to get you moving.

*Time skip*

The Greengrass family arrived ten minutes before Severus Snape did. Much like your sister, his emotions and facial expressions were hidden behind his Mask. To his credit, Severus Snape introduced himself rather well according to the Wizarding Customs of Old and only Daphne and the Dowager Greengrass were not impressed.  
After your Father had lead Severus Snape down to the Duelling Room, Daphne had jumped onto your lap.

“Where’s Harry?” She asked.

“He’s at Malfoy Manor for a playdate. Lucius Malfoy visited this morning and asked if Harry would like to visit.”

“Do you not find the timing a bit odd, young witch?” The Dowager Greengrass asked.

You rubbed you hands together as you watched (Sister’s Name) and Severus duel. They appeared to be equally matched and every so often one of them would win an advantage over another just to have the advantage snatched from them.

“I do.” You eventually sighed, “I cannot understand why Lucius would take Harry to Malfoy Manor on the day that Severus Snape was due to duel my sister.”

“There were rumours,” Cyrus began, speaking for the first time, “that said Severus Snape was close to Lily Evans, Harry’s biological mother, during their early years at Hogwarts. He was not close to James Potter. I believe that it was, in part, due to the way that he was treated at Hogwarts that he allied himself with Voldemort.”

“Perhaps we should table this discussion.” Your dad spoke as he entered the room, “The duel between Severus Snape and (Sister’s Name) has concluded.”

“Who was victorious?” Lucinda asked, leaning forward eagerly.

There was a hint of pride in your dad’s voice and smile as he spoke, “(Sister’s Name) was victorious. She threw two potions vials in the air and as they were about to connect, she cast a high powered Lumos. The bright light blinded her opponent long enough for the potions to rapidly change the consistency of his robes. The potions changed his outer robes to liquid and then the liquid formed chains which hardened and bound Severus’ hands the moment they touched his skin.”

Daphne summed up what you were thinking, “That’s really cool!” She exclaimed, clapping her hands together.

“Indeed.” The Dowager Greengrass commented.

(Sister’s Name) and Severus walked into the room to join you and the Dowager Greengrass had opened her mouth to congratulate the both of them on their duel when a bang sounded and Lipsy appeared twisting her ears. Tinker was behind her.

“Lipsy hate to be interrupting but Headmaster Dumbledore of Hogwarts is outside trying to take down the wards of the Manor. He be wanting to speak with yous. Lipsy is sorry, he be halfway through the first ward already.”

In an instant, your dad transformed into your Father and walked from the room. Daphne sensed the danger and leapt off of your lap and ran over to her parents just as Cyrus helped Lucinda into a standing position. Displaying the agility of a much younger witch, the Dowager Greengrass leapt to her feet with her wand outstretched.

Your Mother came to stand next to you. Your sister and Severus Snape stood on your either side and together you walked out to confront Dumbledore.  
As you walked closer, you could hear your Father, “You are not welcome here nor do you have any authority here, Headmaster Dumbledore.”

“Are you forgetting that I am Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards?” Dumbledore inquired.

“No, I have not forgotten.” Your Father replied; you were certain everyone else present heard the implied “and I don’t care.”

“I merely wished to convey my congratulations for the fact that both your daughters have found themselves such upstanding gentlemen of society. I certainly hope they both promise to be loyal to your daughters, I don’t want to imagine the loss you would feel if someone you loved was taken from you due to an action you took. Do you have anything to add to the matter Severus?”

You didn’t dare look at Severus but you felt the rush of wind next to you and your sister’s wand entered your field of vision as Cyrus spoke, “If that was truly your intention, why would you not send a letter? Is it because a letter can be ignored?”

Cyrus’ body was blocking Lucinda from view or harm and you knew the wards would stop any spells that were cast by a foreign caster.

“I don’t like you.” Daphne spoke up with all the seriousness a three-year-old could muster and when Dumbledore turned to look at her, she reached out her hand and pointed towards him. Energy leapt from her finger and passed through the ward, connecting with Dumbledore.

There was no flash, no bang or no crack of magic. One minute, Dumbledore’s beard was its normal length and colour and the next minute his beard had been shortened and was now green and silver.

You could tell the Dowager Greengrass was fighting to keep her expression neutral, “I do approve the colour change of your beard. I only wish we could be as outspoken as you are when it comes to our Houses, their colours and their traits.” 

Dumbledore disappeared with a crack and collectively, you all let out a breath you didn’t realise you were holding.

“Well, this has been entertaining.” Lucinda commented, “I for one think it is time to return home and strengthen our wards. Perhaps we should even add an ejecting component to them.”

“I second that suggestion.” Your Mother spoke, “May I suggest using our Floo Network? It would return you home quicker and safer.”

“We shall take you up on your suggestion, Lady (Last Name).” Cyrus spoke.

“I apologise for the interruption to your day of courtship, Severus Snape.” Your Father said.

“There is no need for you to apologise.” For the first time, you heard your sister’s betrothed speak. His voice was a deep baritone and it seemed to you like he weighed each word before he spoke. That caution could be a good thing except your mind kept returning to the comments Dumbledore made and you knew he wouldn’t have made those comments needlessly.

“May I use your Floo as well Lady (Last Name)?” Severus asked.

“You may.” She replied as she, your Father and the Greengrass family began to walk back towards the Manor. Wanting to give your sister and her betrothed some time alone, you sped up to walk with your Mother and Father.

*Time skip*

Later on, in the evening, you were sitting in the lounge room when your sister came to join you. “What in the name of Merlin happened today?”

You shook your head. “I don’t know.” You groaned, “The only thing I can think of was that it involves Harry somehow. I mean, why else would Lucius take him for a play date on the day that you meet and duel your betrothed? Congratulations on winning by the way.”

Your sister waved that off, “That’s not important now. I think Dumbledore was assessing us and trying to find a weakness. Remember, you have temporary custody of Harry. Maybe he was looking for some reason why you wouldn’t be a fit guardian for Harry?”

“Well, yes, that could be true but he singled your betrothed out in front of everyone. It was like he was hinting that he was disloyal. Maybe he thought Cyrus, Lucinda, Father or Mother would hex him if it was implied he wouldn’t be loyal to you or your family?”

“Like a test?” Your sister nodded, “I can see that.”

You opened your mouth to say something but were distracted by an owl tapping on the window. (Sister’s Name) stood up to open the window to let the owl in and relieve it of its package. The owl fluffed its feathers and your sister deposited five Knuts into its pouch.

With a hoot, the owl flew out the window and your sister chuckled as she read, “Your betrothed has been busy, sister.”

“What are you talking about?” You demanded as you pulled yourself out of the chair and walked to where your sister was standing.

“Look for yourself.” She answered as she thrust the newspaper towards you.

Gingerly, you took the offered newspaper and examined it. It was a special release of the Daily Prophet which included an interview given by Lucius Malfoy to E Limus about the necessity of an Orphan Law. The Orphan Law had been pushed through the Wizengamot earlier today. The Orphan Law was designed to protect any child of magic in Wizarding Britain after the fall of Voldemort. 

Essentially, if a child was found to have magic and their family abused or harmed them in any way, the family were Obliviated and the child would be registered with the Department of Families until a suitable guardian could be found. This law would not affect any adult who had the guardianship of a Magical child transferred to them prior to this law being enacted.

“He’s good.” You remarked as you scanned the article.

“You don’t think that’s really why Lucius wanted Harry with him today, do you?” (Sister’s Name) questioned quietly.

“Lucius may be many things but he would never use a child to further his own agendas.” You spoke and you tried to put as much certainty in your words as possible. You weren’t really sure if you believed them though.

Your sister looked at you but dropped the topic for the time being, “At least we know why Dumbledore was so harried today.”

*Location change*

Dumbledore gritted his teeth as his hair and his beard refused to revert to their natural colours. He had not had a good day. The (Last Name) and the Greengrass family refused to turn on Severus Snape even after he implied (correctly mind you) that Severus had something to do with Lily and James’ untimely deaths. Then the Greengrass child had altered his hair and beard colour – if it had been red and gold, he wouldn’t have minded so much but the child had the audacity to change the colour to green and silver.

As well as that, he had been blind sighted by the Orphan Law that Lucius Malfoy had pushed through. None of his colleagues in the Wizengamot had warned him that that could happen and so he could not fight it.

Dumbledore sighed, at least he still had some plans that could turn the Harry Potter situation to his advantage. Seeing as the courtship between (Name) and Lucius Malfoy was not yet cemented, he could introduce another player into the playing field.

Just at that moment, the player that he planned to introduce entered his office, “You wished to see me, Headmaster?”

“Oh, come now, Giffard. I haven’t been your Headmaster in quite some time. How many times must I ask you to call me Albus?”

“As many times as I remind you that this is your school and here you are Headmaster. Therefore, I will defer to you as such.”

“If only the rest of the world could see that.” Dumbledore thought before he spoke aloud again, “Giffard, I’m sorry to call you here on such short notice but I assume you’ve heard of the Marriage Law? I don’t wish to pry but have you been allocated a spouse yet? I was so sorry to hear what happened to dear Louisa.”

Giffard clenched his fist, “No Headmaster. I have not been allocated a spouse. Every time, I ask the response is the same “as Louisa died after Voldemort had been vanquished the Law doesn’t apply to you”. I just want my Hannah to have a female mother figure in her life.”

This was exactly what Dumbledore was hoping for, “Do not despair, I have found a possible wife for you. Her name is (Name) (Middle Name) (Surname).”

“(Name) of the (Surnames)? Hasn’t she been betrothed to Lucius Malfoy?”

Dumbledore waved off his words, “In written form maybe. I happen to know no real progress has been made on that front and so I humbly suggest that maybe you try courting her.”

As Giffard nodded, Dumbledore allowed himself a smile. Perhaps now, his plans would be back on course.


	10. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucius, Draco and Harry give you a gift and you visit Diagon Alley together but it doesn't go as smoothly as it should have.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys,
> 
> I hope that you are all keeping safe!
> 
> Here is the next chapter of my Marriage Law fic and I hope you enjoy. Warning wise, this chapter contains: mentions of betrayal and unwanted physical contact (not from Lucius). If any of those make you feel uncomfortable, please don't make yourself read this.
> 
> I would just like to remind you guys that any ideas are welcome, feedback is welcome and that I'd love to chat with you, so please feel free to leave a comment. If you're too shy to leave a comment, no worries - I hope you enjoy the fic!
> 
> See you next time!

The newspaper that brought the news about the Orphan Law lay between you and your sister as you both sat quietly in the lounge room. You had tried to apologise countless times for the fact that her meeting with her betrothed had been disturbed by Dumbledore.

Your sister had stated that you had nothing to apologise for but you felt you did as Dumbledore would not have interrupted her meeting if you weren’t the temporary guardian of Harry. When you tried explaining this to her – she simply raised an eyebrow and reminded you of the fact that you could not have anticipated nor controlled Dumbledore’s actions.

Then she promised that if you attempted to apologise once more, she would hex you. So now, you were enjoying the silence.

Which was abruptly broken by the hoots of an aged looking Ministry Owl.

You and your sister shared a confused look before you went to relieve the owl of its burden. The owl looked at you and hooted almost sadly before flying off. The owl’s reaction made you nervous although you didn’t quite understand why and you changed your grip on the mysterious envelope so that it was resting between your thumb and forefinger. Cautiously, your sister withdrew her wand and cast several detection charms in rapid succession and you both stared at the envelope with dread even though the detection charms reported nothing malicious. 

You turned over the envelope and saw the faint crest of the Abbott family. For the second time in the space of a few minutes, you and your sister shared a confused look.

“Why would the Abbott family be contacting us?” You asked.

Your sister’s eyes narrowed as she thought, “We don’t have any outstanding business or contracts with them. In fact, we haven’t done business with them for one hundred years; not since our ancestor was betrayed while in the newly constructed Abbott Manor under the promised protection of the Head of Abbott House.”

“Which is why our ancestor made the decision to align ourselves with the other families in spite of our magical leanings.” You commented, remembering the story that your grandfather told you both when you were young.

Apprehensively, you broke the seal of the letter and your feelings of nervousness vanished entirely to be replaced with bubbling anger. 

“(Name)?” (Sister’s Name) asked with concern.

“Read it.” You growled, thrusting the letter to her, “All I ask is that you don’t destroy it.”

While (Sister’s Name) read the letter, you clenched your fists and paced up and down. Some of the items on the mantlepiece raised and lowered themselves as a result of your magic beginning to react to your emotions.

“This is truly unbelievable,” (Sister’s Name) growled with a snarl on her face, “This _canis_ dares to attempt to seek your hand in marriage through a coward’s route?! Had he any of his famed honour and respect, he would have come here himself to begin the courtship and then the final decision would be left to Father.”

You felt a smirk slowly spread across your face and your anger faded to a dull simmer, “Yes, Father did give his permission for my courtship to proceed with Lucius Malfoy didn’t he? Father would have sent…”

“His approval to the Ministry that very same day. With the (Last Name) crest on the back which pretty much guarantees same day processing.” Your sister breathed, handing the letter back to you as an identical smirk made its way across her face.

The smirk was still on both of your faces as you beckoned your sister, “Come sister, let us show Father how far a member of the Sacred 28 has fallen.”

Your sister rubbed her hands together eagerly as she followed.

You explained the situation to your Father in clipped sentences while trying to control your laughter and the smirk on (Sister’s Name’s) face widened and by the time you finished your explanation and had handed your Father the letter, your sister was beaming outright.

One of your Father’s hands gripped the arm rest of his chair so tightly that his knuckles turned white as he read the letter. His mouth narrowed into a barely noticeable line but he calmly put the letter down and wordlessly took out his wand and made three copies of the letter. 

“As Head of the (Last Name) family, I shall notify our allies of what has occurred here today. I will send this to the Ministry and express my disapproval that such a travesty was able to occur. (Sister’s Name),” your sister looked at your Father, “you shall be relieved to know that I have sent off my acceptance of your betrothed to the Ministry in the typical fashion of our family. Should this situation escalate further, for either of you, I want you to come to me and I shall declare a Blood Feud with the entire family involved.”

You and your sister exchanged looks of relief mixed with trepidation and anger. A Blood Feud with a family as old as yours and with allies like yours would cause substantial damage to whichever family you had the Blood Feud with. Also, you really didn’t want to add to your family’s troubles seeing as you were dealing with betrothals, Harry and Draco, the Dursley’s treatment of Harry and your plans for revenge and of course, Dumbledore and whatever he was planning and why he was planning it.

Your Father handed you back the original letter and smiled as you held it like you would a Dungbomb.

“That is the best way to hold that blasted thing.” Your Dad commented and with that, you and your sister left his office.

*Time skip*

The minute you walked into Malfoy Manor, two blurs threw themselves at you and held onto your legs tightly. For a minute, you forgot everything and your world narrowed to the two boys hanging onto your legs. 

A chuckle made its way past your lips as you looked down at Draco and Harry, “If you boys don’t let go, I can’t hug you.”

The boys let go of your legs just long enough for you to kneel down and then their arms were around your neck as your arms wrapped around their backs.

“It’s wonderful to see you both. Have you been good?”

You felt it as both Harry and Draco nodded vigorously before letting you go. They stood back as you stood up only to grab onto your hands and tug you forward. 

You took this time to study Harry and Draco. They were both wearing clothing which showed that they belonged to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Malfoy and Harry and Draco had both grown since the last time you saw them. Harry seemed to enjoy living in Malfoy Manor with Draco and Lucius.

“Harry. Draco. May I suggest that you be a little gentler with (Name) as I think if you tug any harder, her arms may come out of their sockets?” Lucius’ voice sounded from the top of the stairs and Harry and Draco let go of your hands as they attempted to explain themselves.

“We wanted to show (Name) the bracelet!” Draco protested.

Harry’s protest was quieter than Draco’s but it made you happy to hear it all the same, “We put special stuff in it so that she’d be safe and we wanted her to put it on before she saw you.”

Lucius walked down the stairs languidly, “Yes boys. I know about the protection charms that you put on the bracelet.”

“’Cause you helped us.”

“That’s right, Harry. How about if we put the bracelet on now? Would that be alright?”

Harry fished the bracelet out of his pocket and handed it to Lucius who took your wrist in his hand and slipped the bracelet onto your wrist. You jolted a little as the protection spell took hold and connected with your magic. As you studied the bracelet, you noticed the Malfoy family crest in the middle with the background of the (Last Name) crest on the same pendant and there were three beads on either side of the Malfoy crest.

“The beads are for magic, balance and unity.” Lucius informed you before releasing your wrist.

“Do you like it?” Harry asked shyly.

“I love it.” You told him, “Thank you so much for the bracelet, it’s beautiful and functional.”

“See Dad!” Draco cried happily, “I told you she’d love it!”

Lucius turned to face both boys before calling out for Dobby who appeared with a pop, “Yes Master?”

“The boys need to dress for our visit to Diagon Alley and the Dowager Greengrass shall be meeting us there.”

Dobby bowed, “Dobby understands Master Malfoy. Dobby will get the boys ready.” With a pop, Dobby, Harry and Draco vanished, leaving you and Lucius alone.  
There were many things you wanted to ask Lucius and they all affected Harry in some way so, you decided to start off with the question that concerned you the most, 

“Lucius,” you began carefully as you clasped your hands together, “how much planning went into the creation of the Orphan Law?”

Lucius’ face hardened and you felt your own mask slide into place.

“It was a project that I have been considering for quite some time and until recently I had not received the opportunity to begin preparations for it.”

It took everything in you not to react angrily at that, “I have no problem with the Law itself. Can you look me in the eye and promise me that you did not arrange the timing so that Harry could be used to promote the necessity for the Law?”

“I will swear an Oath on my Magic if that is what it takes to convince you that I did not use the fact that Harry is in your care and by extension, mine, to my advantage when I sought to create and push through the Orphan Law.”

You looked up into Lucius’ eyes and prayed that you weren’t about to make a massive mistake, “There is no need for you to swear an Oath – your word on this matter is enough.”

Lucius smiled at you and offered you his arm just as Harry and Draco reappeared, ready for your first visit to Diagon Alley as a family.

*Time skip*

In public, the Dowager Greengrass commanded quite a powerful and respected presence and her aura was present so much so that younger families did their best to skirt around her. Older families greeted her formally and politely before scurrying away.

If you didn’t know her as well as you did, you would have missed the small signs of amusement on her face but you did and you could tell just how amused she was with the entire situation. 

You and Lucius greeted her formally and the Dowager Greengrass bent down to smile kindly at Draco and Harry who beamed back at her. Straightening up, still with the smile on her face, she took one look at the public and remarked, “Well, I know what tomorrow’s front-page news will be.”

It took everything you had not to outright laugh at that.

The moment was broken when a hand grabbed your wrist and swung you around so that you were no longer facing the Dowager Greengrass and instead staring into the angry muddy brown eyes of Giffard Abbott.

“Lord Abbott, I would ask that you release my wrist.” You demanded coolly.

Giffard Abbott ignored you and grasped your wrist tighter, “Why has my betrothal offer gone unanswered, (Last Name) and how dare you cavort with the Malfoy family?”

The stress on the Malfoy name reminded you of the fact that the Malfoys and the Abbotts had a Blood Disagreement which stemmed from about the same time that your ancestor cut ties with Abbotts. That’s all you knew about the Blood Disagreement between the two families.

“Lord Abbott, your betrothal offer has gone unanswered because not only is it redundant as I am happy with my betrothed but because you made no mention about having Harry under your care as a child of House Abbott.”

By now you were starting to gather a crowd and in an attempt to win your favour, finally Giffard released your wrist, “I apologise for that oversight – as a parent myself I can understand the importance of protecting a child.”

It did not escape your notice that he ignored your comment about the betrothal offer and you also noticed that he was still talking so, you tuned back in to hear what he was saying, “…The wards at Abbott Manor would be more than sufficient to protect Harry. They do a magnificent job at protecting Hannah. It would be nice for them to grow up in a protected and united family.”

You saw Lucius’ lip curl and you knew that whatever he said next would be biting and condescending. Part of you thought that due to his treatment of Lucius, Lord Abbott almost deserved what was coming.

“Young Lord Abbott,” you were right; at these words Giffard stiffened noticeably, “surely you would not remove a child from a place where they are happy, protected, loved and cared for to suit your own needs?”

You saw the trap a minute before it was sprung; Giffard did not.

“Do not turn my words against me, _Malfoy_.” Giffard sneered, “We know how you raise your children. I simply want to protect children from experiencing that.”

For the second time today, Lucius’ face hardened and he strode forward, placing himself next to you and in between Giffard and the boys. His hand unexpectedly clasped your wrist and the sleeve of your robe fell backwards to reveal the bracelet that adorned your wrist.

“If I could have a moment of your time, shoppers at Diagon Alley.” Lucius called – he had no need for a Sonorous charm as the street was deathly quiet, “You can see that on my betrothed’s wrist is a bracelet signifying unity, magic and balance with the Malfoy crest and the (Last Name) crest. Those of you who are old enough to remember,” here Lucius looked scathingly at Giffard and although his gaze was harsh, his grip on your wrist was not, “would recognise this bracelet for what it is. The Malfoy family and (Last Name) family are united and should anyone at all attempt to interfere with that, well, I believe the creation of a Blood Feud would be an appropriate response.”

Giffard blanched and Disapperated from the middle of the Alley.

It took a few minutes for the shoppers to realise that the spectacle was over and the chatter to return to a level of noise that usually occurred within the Alley. Lucius turned you both to face the boys just in time to see the Dowager Greengrass calmly exit Gringotts and make her way to you.

“I stand corrected.” She stated, “That shall be the front-page news tomorrow. I shall collect Cyrus and the other members of the Greengrass family and we shall reconvene at your house in three hours, young witch. We have much to discuss.”

*Time skip*

Daphne was so excited to see Draco and Harry that she was the first one into the lounge room after she and the boys were given the okay to play in there. Lucinda smiled knowingly, “You get used to this after a while.”

The Dowager Greengrass spoke, “The Will Reading of Lily and James Potter is scheduled for two days hence. The Account Manager was ropable when he realised that one of his clan was responsible for the Will being ignored and sealed. He assured me that the guilty party would be punished through Goblin justice. Also, I briefly surrendered the copy of young Lord Abbott’s letter to you, (Name), to the Goblins who treated it like a matter of dishonour. Sometimes, it truly does pay to be from an old family.”

She leant forward, “Alessandra Zabini is once again in Wizarding Britain and she too will be attending the Will Reading due to her being James’ fourth cousin once removed but that is not what worries me. The Account Manager I dealt with suggested the possibility that someone intentionally delays mail from certain families to the relevant Ministry bodies. Ordinarily, this is not a problem as Goblin made copies appear on the desk of the authorities as needed however, it is a matter worth investigating especially now while the majority of Wizarding Britain is unaware that this takes place.”

*Scene change*

Lord Abbott crumpled the official letter from Gringotts in his hand and then for good measure magically set it on fire. 

Due to the Goblins of Gringotts somehow finding out that he attempted a betrothal with an already betrothed witch, they had sent him a letter informing him, _the Lord of House Abbott_ , that he has now had a 1500 Galleon a month limit placed on his account. The Goblins had also implied some very nasty things about his character and hinted, in no uncertain terms, that for the foreseeable future, it would be in his best interests if he and any member of his House who visited Gringotts were on their best behaviour.

To not only place a spending limit on his account but imply he was not of good character and hint of refusal of business was a serious insult to any member of a House but to do it to a member of the Sacred 28 was unfathomable until now.


	11. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, the Wills of James and Lily Potter are read. You formally meet your sister's betrothed as well as the Zabini family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys,
> 
> Firstly, I'd like to apologise for the delay in getting this chapter out and for the length of the chapter; there's quite a lot of world building. Next, I'd like to say that things are about to heat up in the next several chapters. 
> 
> The information that I use about Blaise and Alessandra comes from the Harry Potter fanon wiki as there is very little canon information about the Zabini family.
> 
> The warnings for this chapter are: prejudice, racism (not to the Reader, Harry, Draco or Lucius), Magical Binding, hints of Magical Branding and the beginning of an argument between the Reader and her sister. I think that's everything but if you guys see something that I've missed, please let me know. If any of the above situations make you feel upset/uncomfortable, please don't read this chapter or this fic.

The bracelet that Harry, Lucius, and Draco had made for you hung on your wrist as you walked unaccompanied through Diagon Alley towards Gringotts. While you were walking, you absentmindedly thought that perhaps walking alone through the Alley wasn’t your best idea.

 _“It was the only acceptable choice in this situation.”_ Your brain argued as it reminded you of your goal today. _“If you came with Lucius or another magical being, the Goblins may have felt that you were trying to pressure them on their own land and that would not end well.”_

You repressed a shudder at that thought. Pressuring (and possibly offending) the Goblins of Gringotts was the last thing that you wanted to do.

Coming up to the polished white marble of the entrance of Gringotts, you squared your shoulders and reminded yourself of what you wanted to inquire about. The entrance hall of Gringotts had never seemed so long and you were very thankful that the Goblins were dedicated to their work and not gawking at every visitor to the bank.

There was a slight queue at the main teller’s stand so you simply waited and did your best to ignore the hushed, gossiping voices and the constant glances that were directed your way. The Goblin didn’t even look up as he grunted out a “Yes?”

Darting your tongue out to moisten your suddenly dry lips, you spoke, “I have some questions about Gringotts’ Bank Policy and was wondering if you could direct me to someone who can assist me.”

The Goblin gave you a quick, calculating glance before he nodded. “Wait here.” He commanded, “I shall find you some assistance.” 

He hopped of his stool with agility and grace which caught you by surprise. It only seemed like seconds had gone by before the teller and another Goblin returned.  


“I understand you have questions.” The second Goblin spoke. “Come this way, witch.” She commanded brusquely.

You had no time to dwell on the fact that the way the Goblin had said “witch” sounded almost like an insult as the Goblin turned and led you into a private room.  


You remained standing even after your Host had seated herself. Her face remained impassive and she gestured with her hand, “You may now be seated.”

Once you were seated, she spoke again. “Now, what is your question? I don’t have time to waste on trivial matters.”

You paused before beginning, “Honoured Goblin. I wish to inquire about your policy around young children being present at Will readings. Recently, I have had the guardianship of a young child transferred to me and a Will reading is scheduled soon for his parents.”

“You refer to the Potter Wills do you not?”

“Yes, Honoured Goblin.”

The Goblin leant forward slightly. “Normally there are three options for a Will reading. The first option is having the voice of the deceased read the Will and the second is having an image of the deceased read the will out. I think we can both agree that the first two options will cause more problems and possibly trauma for the young children involved. Therefore, I suggest the third option. A Goblin takes an Oath, both in the Goblin tongue and yours, to read the Will out exactly as it is written.”

You nodded as your Host continued speaking, “Now to answer your question as it was asked. Children are welcome at Will readings. May I inquire as to the ages of the other children who will be present?”

You smiled slightly at the directness of the Goblin, “There will be two other children present and they are both three years old. They are Draco Malfoy, who will be coming with my betrothed and Alessandra Zabini’s son, Blaise.”

“At Gringotts, we were aware of this information prior to you declaring this however, we thank you for your honesty and for coming to inquire prior to the reading.”

Realising this was her way of dismissing you, you opened your mouth to bid her farewell but she surprised you by continuing to speak.  
“As a Mother myself, I do understand how difficult it must appear to be now especially with so many plots surrounding you.”

With a sinking feeling, you realised she was warning you. The Goblins at Gringotts already knew about Lord Abbott’s disastrous attempt to begin courting you because of the Dowager Greengrass surrendering the letter he’d sent you. The sinking feeling developed further as you remembered that the wards around your House were maintained by Gringotts and they would know about the time Dumbledore visited when your sister met with and duelled her betrothed.

_“If the Goblins of Gringotts are warning you about Dumbledore, then either they don’t trust him and have reason to be cautious or they know something I don’t.”_

You waited until your Host stood before standing yourself. “May I inquire about why you did not give your name?” You asked.

Your Host was almost to the door when she turned, “If you and yours conduct yourselves with as much respect as you did today next time you visit Gringotts, then I shall reveal my name. Know this, it is a great honour to have a Goblin reveal their name to you having not earnt their right to reveal it from battle.”

You bowed and then followed her through the door. 

*Time skip*

Unusually quiet, Harry clutched your hand tightly as you entered Gringotts. Lucius and Draco followed closely with the Dowager Greengrass bringing up the rear of your party. The same Goblin that assisted you on your last visit was once again at the end of the corridor.

As you were accompanied by other people which included a male Head of the Family, this time it would be Lucius who spoke first.

“We are here for the Will reading of the Potters.” Lucius’ voice rang clearly throughout the halls of Gringotts.

The Goblin didn’t look up from counting the rubies on his desk, “Down the hall. First door on the left.”

Lucius bristled at the lack of respect that he was being shown but had no chance to reply as you inclined your head and started walking to the room that the Goblin had told you about. When you entered, you saw Alessandra Zabini and Blaise already seated.

Alessandra turned to face you and gracefully stood to greet you. Blaise remained seated, kicking his feet out in front of him.

“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, eldest daughter of the (Last Name) family.” Alessandra spoke. Her voice had a lilting quality to it and as she spoke, she offered her hand to you. Her face was stern and guarded.

As she spoke to you first, it fell to you introduce all members of your family.

“The pleasure is mine.” You replied, grasping her hand. “It is my honour to present my betrothed, Lucius Malfoy and his son and heir, Draco Malfoy. Harry is under the protection of my House and I am honoured to present the Dowager Greengrass.”

You released Alessandra’s hand and she beckoned Blaise forward. “This is my son and heir, Blaise Zabini. He is not usually this quiet. We were unfortunately insulted by some very rude wizards prior to our entry this morning.”

“What happened?” Draco piped up.

Alessandra’s guarded look faltered for a moment, “We had a long holiday visiting our extended family and while we were in Mozambique, Blaise began to talk. As Portuguese is the main language there, he began to speak Portuguese. I must confess, when we returned, I neglected to tell Blaise about the different languages and today, he asked me a question in Portuguese and before I could answer, some wizards berated me for teaching and allowing him to speak another language.”

“But he did nothing wrong. He talked. That’s it.” Harry spoke.

Alessandra knelt so that she was at Harry’s eye level, “I know that and I think Blaise knows that but some people can be hurtful if they want to especially if something is different.”

“Be proud of your son’s achievement.” The Dowager Greengrass spoke, “If the power level of those wizards is so low that they cannot cast a simple translation charm, then their words should have no meaning.”

Before Alessandra could say anything further, the door opened once more and a Goblin walked in with Albus Dumbledore. Without a word of greeting, Alessandra swept back to her seat and took Blaise with her. He sat down next to his Mother.

The Dowager Greengrass walked around Lucius and you and too ignored Dumbledore. She sat down calmly next to Blaise who reached out a hand to touch her cane. Deciding to follow the example shown by the Dowager and Alessandra, you, Lucius, Draco, and Harry seated yourselves in the row of chairs behind the Dowager; leaving Dumbledore to sit on his own away from your party.

It took you a moment to realise that the Goblin who had accompanied Dumbledore in was the teller at the end of the corridor when you entered. The Goblin made no move to begin the Will reading and then the door opened for the third time.

The Goblin who entered was old. There was no other way to describe them. There were two axes crossed at the Goblin’s belt and there was a sword in a sheath resting on the back of the Goblin.

“I am Spitdeath of the Warrior clan.” The Goblin spoke, “It is my duty to read the Wills of those no longer with us and by Lady Magic, I swear to read the exact contents of the Wills as written.” The Goblin then made the Oath in his language.

Two scrolls appeared on the desk and the Goblin walked towards them. Once he reached the desk, he unravelled the first scroll.

“I shall read the Will of James Potter first. This is the last will and testament of James Orion Potter, Heir to the Ancient and Noble House of Potter. My son, Harry, if you are hearing this it means that I am no longer with you and that I regret more than anything. 

Through my family, you are connected to a range of people and if my darling wife is no longer with us then I nominate any member of the Greengrass family to be your guardian and teach you as I should have. Live well, my son and know that I am watching over you.”

As the Goblin finished talking, Harry pressed himself into your side and cried. You gently stroked up and down his back as he cuddled closer.

The Goblin cleared his throat, “I shall now read the Will of Lily Potter, nee Evans. This is the last will and testament of Lily Potter, nee Evans. To all members present at the time of this reading, my time in the Magical world has opened my eyes to a great, many things. But most of all, it has shown me the value of family and how family doesn’t always end in blood.

Therefore, as I deem Vernon Dursley and Petunia Dursley nee Evans unfit guardians for my son, Harry James Potter, Heir to the Ancient and Noble House of Potter, I will follow the precedent set by my Husband and nominate any member of the Greengrass family to be Harry’s guardian and teacher. I would also like to apologise to the members of James’ family for my inability to get to know them as I should have as Lady Potter. I fear that reflects poorly on the Ancient and Noble House of Potter. Goodbye, Harry and know that we love you and are watching you always.”

Harry’s tears were now soaking your robes and as the Goblin finished reading, you felt him hiccup a few times before drawing away and rubbing at his eyes. Lucius leant over Draco (who was sniffing as well) and handed Harry a handkerchief. Lucius then drew Draco into his side.

You wiped Harry’s tears away and gently encouraged him to blow his nose.

It was at this time that Dumbledore stood, “Master Goblin. I would like to contest those Wills.”

The temperature in the room plummeted ten degrees.

The Goblin who read the Wills looked at Dumbledore unimpressed. “You have no basis to contest the Wills. If you had an issue, why did you not raise it when these Wills were first drawn?”

Your thoughts were spiraling, was the Goblin suggesting what you thought he was suggesting?

Your thoughts were silenced when the Goblin continued, “After all, you were present at the drawing of the Wills and you are listed as a witness.”

The room was stunned into silence.

The silence was broken when the Goblin who read the Wills spoke, “Thus concludes the Will Reading of James and Lily Potter.” The scrolls vanished and without another word, the Goblin exited the room.

The Goblin who remained fixed Dumbledore with a look, “I require some time alone with Dumbledore to discuss some things. The rest of you are free to leave.”

You saw Lucius’ head turn slightly and saw his eyes narrow and you resolved to ask him about his reaction later.

“Harry, Draco? It’s time to leave Gringotts.” Lucius said as he stood up. 

Harry pushed himself off of the chair and grabbed onto your outstretched hand. Draco and Blaise did the exact same thing, grabbing onto Lucius’ and Alessandra’s hands, respectively. Harry looked up at you and you could see the redness around his eyes. Your heart ached for him but you also knew that it wasn’t safe to comfort Harry here.

Once again, the Dowager Greengrass walked behind your party. Your exit from Gringotts was as swift as it could be as the Bank was much busier than when you had entered. Harry pressed himself closer to you in an attempt to avoid the stares and whispers.

You could feel your anger towards Dumbledore growing as you realised what had happened, _“He deliberately let slip that he was attending the Will Reading today! If he cared about Harry like he pretends to, he would never have let slip the information. That must be what the other Goblin wants to talk to him about and why he requested that Dumbledore remain behind.”_

The bracelet that Lucius, Draco, and Harry made slipped further down your wrist into view and suddenly the people in Gringotts were closing in around you. The Dowager Greengrass did not speak but simply tapped her cane three times on the tiled floor and after seeing her glare that could freeze Britain, the majority of people retreated enough so that you could leave the Bank behind. You bid Alessandra and Blaise a very formal goodbye before Disapparating.

Everyone was quieter than normal when you arrived at the gates of Malfoy Manor and it seemed that your day was about to become a whole lot harder when you realised that your sister’s betrothed, Severus Snape, was waiting for you at the gates.

The feeling of dread seeped through you until you could swear that you felt it in your bones. The glare on Severus Snape’s face was a frightening one. There was nothing to do but continue walking towards the gates.

“Betrayal appears to be becoming a frequent occurrence in our world and a frequent theme in our own lives.” Severus Snape stated with a sneer.

Still holding onto Draco’s hand, Lucius responded. “It appears that you have forgotten the etiquette lessons that all Slytherin first years are given, Lord Prince.”

The sneer vanished off of Severus Snape’s face and he almost looked ashamed. Lucius continued, “As it appears that you need a reminder, the first lesson is not to make a move until you are certain of all the facts. You have not done that. You may join us in the lounge room and I shall explain our side as I am sure that you have received a slightly biased recount of events.”

When you were in the lounge room, Dobby put down the afternoon tea before bowing deeply and vanishing from the room. After their snacks, Draco and Harry ran up to Harry’s room to play.

Calmly, Lucius set his teacup down on the table next to him and began to explain the series of events that had led to you becoming Harry’s temporary guardian, Harry living at the Manor, Giffard’s dismal attempt to begin a courtship with you and the Will Reading.

Severus Snape had not uttered a single word during Lucius’ recount and once it was finished, he stood and bowed to you and Lucius.

“As Lord Prince, I wish to apologise for my earlier words. Lord Malfoy was correct in his statement that I did not have all of the facts and that I had heard a biased version of events. The version I was provided with was not complimentary to you, Lord Malfoy nor your betrothed.”

Lucius steepled his fingers together, “As we are confident that we know who provided you with the biased version of events, I shall forgive you forgetting your etiquette. Whether the Lady (Last Name) chooses to forgive you at this point in time is up to her.”

Severus Snape’s lips thinned but other than that he made no movement. It seemed he did not expect that outcome nor did he like the fact that he may have offended his sister’s betrothed through his lack of etiquette.

He turned to you, “I am Severus Snape of the House of Prince. It is an honour to meet you. Your sister speaks of you often.”

Rising from your chair, you returned the greeting. “I am (Name) (Last Name) of the Old, Noble and Honorary House of (Last Name), the betrothed of Lord Lucius Malfoy and the temporary guardian of Harry Potter. Would you like to meet him?”

“I would.”

The walk to Harry’s room was filled with a nervous quiet and as you moved to knock, Severus spoke. “It is clear that you and your sister share a close bond and that she possesses great skill in duelling.”

A smirk crossed your face as you turned to face him, “I am not your messenger. She will appreciate hearing your words of praise from you. She is also quite the inventor when it comes to potions.”

You raised your hand to knock again but the door was pulled open by an excited Draco. “I knew I heard voices! Harry, come meet my Godfather Severus!” With that, Draco launched himself at Severus’ legs causing the man to double over a little.

Harry took a few tentative steps forward and Severus looked at him. “Hello, Harry. My name is Severus and you remind me of two people I used to know.”

Harry waved a little but seemed content to watch Draco interact with his Godfather.

*Time skip*

The next day, you walked into the Dining Room at (Last Name) Manor only to be greeted by the sight of the Dining table completely covered in books from your library and your parents and your sister busy looking through them.

“Did I miss something?” You questioned.

Without looking up, your sister spoke, “Severus came by yesterday and we talked. Then he left and I don’t know where he went. Now I’m looking in these books to try and find a way to remove a magical binding without involving the Goblins. I’m sure you can understand why I don’t want to involve them.”

You bristled at the condescending tone that your sister spoke with. It was very tempting for you to tell her exactly where Severus went and about his actions. With a sigh, you decided against it and you made your way over to the pile of books.

“You don’t need to sigh, now it’s time to help out my betrothed.” Your sister snapped.

“I sighed because…”

“(Name) enough! I don’t want to hear it!”

To stop yourself from responding as you knew it wouldn’t lead anywhere, you grabbed the nearest heaviest looking book and pulled it towards you.

You were a few minutes into reading your book when your Father cleared his throat. “I’ve found something that may help. This passage,” he spun the book around so that you could see it, “is very clear about the difference between a willing participant in Magical Bindings and a non-willing participant.”

“That begs the question then, were Lucius and Severus willing to join and serve He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named because it was something that they wanted to do or were they willing because they were instructed to be by their Head of House?” You asked but you received no answer.

You huffed out a breath through your nose and continued looking through your book. There were references to rituals and you knew that all rituals require a sacrifice but there was nothing in the book about Magical Bindings.

Just as you were about to close your book and pull another towards you, your Mother spoke, “In this book, it clearly states that the younger an unwilling Magical Binding victim is, the easier the mark will be to remove.”

“We are still left with the question of how willing Lucius and Severus were to join and serve He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.” You commented.

Your Father looked at both of you, “Perhaps you should both ask your betrotheds.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys enjoy this fic.
> 
> Feedback is very much welcomed and I do not own anything.


End file.
